The Glass Kunoichi: Chapter 7
by The Otaku Writing Freaks
Summary: In a world of shinobi, your abilities are everything and Akane Kato has a particularly dangerous bloodline jutsu possessing unheard of defensive capabilities. Word of her talent falls on evil ears one day and an adventure unlike any other mission she's had before is set in motion.


An: Spottedleaf here. I should probably put the warning here, but I'll make it vague so there aren't any spoilers. Please don't read this story if you are easily offended or don't like swearing. Just don't. You've been warned so flames will not even be considered. We will eat cupcakes and laugh at any that we get.

The Glass Kunoichi

by Spottedleaf9 and Dracanoth Dereal  
Chapter 7

We'd been on the road for all of four days with Haru before things went sour. I had insisted on taking watch for the entire night because I'd been incapacitated for so long. After a long, intense look at me, Kakashi sighed and laid down. He'd been sighing at me a lot lately and it was really starting to bug me. Just what had Naruto seen in our teacher's behavior that was off enough that he had to pry into Kakashi's private thoughts? What had he seen there, in the confines of the pages? An unwelcome idea crept into my mind and I quickly smothered it. Was Kakashi feeling things for his students that he shouldn't? Suppressing a shiver, I checked the night for signs of life other than my sleeping companions and myself.

Haru was actually sleeping this time; not out training as I had been letting him slip out to do on my shifts. I knew it was wrong to keep secrets from my team, but I could see no harm in this one. It was simply aiding a dream that…Haru would never get to fulfill otherwise and that was a noble action, something a ninja should be proud to do, make a civilian's dreams come true.

The night was warm; muggy with summer rain to come and I felt sleepy. Shaking it off, I enjoyed the fact I had some solitude; time to myself to put my thoughts in order.I was a shinobi and that was all I had time for in my life; improving upon my abilities and finally becoming something that stood a chance of saving lives, even if I had to give mine up to do so. Listening to the frogs chirping and singing in the nearby waters, my head began to bob again. Jerking upright, I stood. If I kept sitting around, I was going to sleep and that could be disastrous.

The night was calm and seemed to welcome me with open arms as I widened my walking perimeter around the camp. Thoughts kept crowding my head and I angrily shoved them out. I wanted to find a state of zen and it was not coming to me no matter what I did to achieve it. I was worried about Naruto. I'd never seen him acting so quietly and it struck me as ominous. He just wasn't one prone to flights of long thoughtfulness.

The bushes rustled and I immediately snapped out my left hand; three kunai flying out from between my fingers to stab dangerously into the unseen undergrowth. A low, hair-raising chuckle came from the shadows and I felt my blood run as cold as ice. I felt speared by a gaze that I could not see the owner of and knew I was in deep trouble.

My thoughts that I was not going to be ok were only further cemented when the man who'd made the sound stepped out where I could see him. Clad in a long black cloak peppered with red clouds outlined by white, he stood taller than Kakashi and glared at me.

Gray, spiky hair topped his head; short and as wild as the look in his eyes. In one hand he held three kunai that had green ribbons on them; mine. In the other hand, he held a massive, three-bladed scythe. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, attacking me? You're only a fucking child." He was foul mouthed; like the red-eyed gaze that made me freeze in uneasiness. _At least…his eyes aren't red because he has Sharingan…_ "I'm starting to think I got the easy job. You don't look like much of a threat you shit breath."

Shakily, I reached into the pouch and took out a tablet, swallowing it. I expected to get very broken and thought only to numb the pain ahead of time. "You're with them…the Akatsuki. I won't let you take Naruto. I will protect my friends and the prince. That is my way."

The man threw his head back and laughed loudly at me. "You're a fucking riot, you know that? In any case, this visit is not to capture the kyuubi. We'll come for him last. I'm here to recruit you by any means. Now you better shut your fucking mouth and come with me or I'll be forced to fuck you up; despite orders."

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I opened them; hoping the steel in my voice showed through clearly. "Cut me, burn me, freeze me, stab me. It doesn't matter. I'll never, ever use my talents for you or your friends and if you think any amount of pain is going to change my mind, you're a damned fool." In my mind, I began letting go of my pain; saying my mental goodbyes. I expected to not survive past this night. This Akatsuki character looked angry and I doubted he was going to be gentle with me. I was in for agony and maybe…just maybe the one break that would end up being my demise.

Taking up my battle stance, I gritted my teeth and glared; defiant. Sighing, he straightened up, throwing my kunai to the ground and hefting the scythe over his back. "I was hoping you'd refuse to come with me. Maybe I could interest Jashin in some of your blood. I've stopped caring about the orders to bring you back untouched. I'll beat the living fuck out of you first." His eyes glittered dangerously and a voice from the bushes spoke.

"The shinobi in the camp are stirring. They heard your loud mouth. I'm heading out to suppress them until Kato is secured. Be sure not to swear so loudly in the future, Hidan. You'll chase away my bounties and that's money lost."

Rustling in the bushes and then it was gone. Trying to turn in the general direction it went, I was startled by the scythe whizzing past me and nicking my cheek. Darting out my hand, I touched the arm holding it and jumped back, blood leaking through the air after me. Landing on a tree trunk and sticking sideways to it, I looked down at my opponent. "Shut the fuck up, Kakuzu. There's more to life than money. Now get the fuck out of my hair. I'm introducing this ignorant child to Jashin today…" With a blood chilling grin, Hidan turned his red eyes to me. "Now we really get to play, you little bitch. You'll wish you had taken my fucking offer." Licking the blood dripping off the end of the scythe, he began to draw a circle on the ground with the blood; making a pattern inside it. "You poor motherfucker, you've made me angry. Feel my god's fury." Standing inside the circle, his confidence increased and my instincts as a shinobi told me that I had to get him out of the weird glyph he'd painted on the ground.

I had a sinking feeling this was really going to be it. I had finally met my match, even if I had touched him already. My chakra was going to mix with his and appear on his skin when he attacked me. I just had to wait and see what this jutsu was that made my stomach clench in fear was going to turn out to be. I sincerely hoped it wasn't the first hole someone had found. This would be a bad time for any weaknesses in my bloodline jutsu to be discovered.

Raising a blade that he had hidden in his sleeve, Hidan poised; the sharp end pointed directly at his own stomach; confusion blasted over me, but not for long.


End file.
